Filtering apparatus



Nu. 625,I77 Patenfed May 1899,

c. v. F. LUDWEG. A

FILTERING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1898. Renewed Apr. 22, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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THE uonms PETERS co. Pnorourua, wasmusrou D c Patentd May I6, 1399.

No. s25,|77.

C. V. F.'LUDWIG.

FILTERING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1898. Renewed Apr 22, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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(No Model.)

W/TNESSES No. 625,!77. Patented May l6, I899; C. V. F. LUDWIG. FILTEBING APPARATUS. (Application filed Apr. 21, 1898. Renewed Apr. 22, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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NlTED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

CHARLES VALENTIN FERDINAND LUDVVIG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FILTERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,177, dated. May 16, 1899.

Application filed April 21, 1898. Renewed April 22, 1899. Serial No. 714,100. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES VALENTIN FERDINAND LUDWIG, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, having invented a new and Improved Filtering Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved filtering apparatus more especially designed for obtaining pure water from rivers, streams, and other sources of water-supply, the apparatus being arranged to filter the Water directly and return-the sediment to the source of supply.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as

will be described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l-is a sectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the filter-bed with parts in section, and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same 011 the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The improved apparatus illustrated in the drawings is more especially designed for use in a river, and for this purpose an abutment A is arranged on the shore of the river, and a second abutment A is arranged parallel to the abutment A and extends in the direction of the flow of the river, so that the water-current can readily pass between the two abutments. A filter B is immersed in the water between the abutments and is hung on ropes, chains, or like devices 0, extending upwardly and passing over pulleys O, journaled in suitable bearings in a framework D, carried by the abutments A A. Gounterweights O are hung on the ends of the ropes O to counterbalance the filter B, so that the latter automatically rises and falls with the water in the river, to be at all times immersed a desired distance. The filter B is in the form of a box open at the top and provided near the lower ends of its sides, as well as at the bottom B with apertures for the water to pass into an entrance-chamber E, arranged in the lower end of the box.

The chamber E is guarded at the front end E by projecting this part in triangular form beyond the filter B, the triangular end ex tending into the current to deflect refuse or other floating matter, at the same time per mitting of the current to pass into the chamber with fullforce. A filter-bed is arranged above the entrance-chamber, but not above reservoir H, into which the filtered Water accumulates. Now it is evident that when the filter Bis immersed in the water the latter passes through the filter-bed in an upward direction into the reservoir Hby the pressure of the water in the river-that is, until the level of the filtered water in the reservoir H corresponds to the level of the water in the river.

Now it is-evident that by the arrangement described the filter B is sufficiently far immersed in the water in the river that the middle stratum of the Water is approximately at the entrance-chamber E, so that the lighter polluting-matter which floats on the surface of the river-water and the heavier substances which move along the bed of the river are not liable to enter the filter. The Water passing into the entrance-chamber E is thus comparatively pure and is perfectly free of all impurities before passing into the reservoir H, as sediment is prevented from passing into the said reservoir by the bottom F and the filtering-strata G. V

In order to sterilize and purify the water in the reservoir H, I provide opposite sides of the box B with carbon plates II, connected by wires J J with a dynamo at a suitable distant station K, so that a current of electricity passes through the water in the reservoir H to sterilize and purify the same. The

filtered, sterilized, and purified water flows from the upper portion of the reservoir H, through pipes L, into a flexible pipe L, connected with a pipe L arranged in the abutment A, and discharging in a cistern or other water-collecting vessel N, arranged on the shore, the vessel N being located sufficiently low in the ground for the water to flow by its own gravity from the reservoir 11 to the said cistern. A pipe 0 connects the bottom of the cistern with the station K, containing pumps or the like for pumping the Water to a reservoir or directly to city mains for distribution.

In order to keep the bottom F' as clean as possible from the rough sediment liable to collect upon the under surface of said bottom F in the pores of said bottom, I form the latter with longitudinally-extending arches F, each containing a brush P, having its shaft P journaled. in suitable bearings in the ends of the box B. On the ends of each shaft P are secured propeller-Wheels P extending directly into the Water-current of the river, so that the propeller-wheels are turned, and 0011- sequently the brushes P are rotated, to scrape off any sediment passing to the under surface of the arches F. readily floats off or settles in the bottom of the river, and the bottom F is kept comparatively free from impurities for a long time. When it is deemed necessary to clean the filter 13, the latter may be easily hoisted out of the Water byincreasin g the counterweights O or by pulling on the ropes C.

The filter-bed, composed of the bottom F and the strata G of sand, gravel, and the like, can be readily renewed Whenever desired and without incurring very much expense.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction of the abutments and the filter B as described, as it is evident the filter may be suspended between twin boats or supported from docks or otherwise floated in the river to rise and fall with the water therein for the purpose mentioned; or in the event of water not having force of current sufficient to rotate propeller-wheels other mechanical motive power may be applied for the'purpose mentioned.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A filter havinga filtering-Wall construct- The sediment thus removed the water, a filter-bed in said filter above the inlets, a collecting reservoir in said filter above the bed, so that the water from the source of supplyis forced up through the filter-bed into the reservoir by the pressure of j the water from the source of supply, the filj ter-bed comprising a stone, brick, tile or like porous material bottom, and a loose filtering material 011 said bottom, substantially as shown and described.

4:. A filter arr-ranged for immersion in running water, and provided with revoluble cleaning-brushes, and propellers operatively connected with the brushes and arranged to be actuated by the current.

5. A filtering apparatus provided with a filter arranged for immersion in the source of Water-supply, and having a bottom made of a solid but porous material and formed with arches, and revoluble brushes in contact with the arch-surfaces, to keep the same clean and free of sediment, substantially as shown and described.

6. A filtering apparatus provided with a filter arranged for immersion in the source of Water-supply, and having a bottom made of solid but porous material and formed with arches, revoluble brushes in contact with the arch-surfaces, to keep the same clean and free of sediment, and propeller-Wheels on the shafts of the said brushes, for rotating the same by-the current of water, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES VALENTIN FERDINAND LUDWIG.

Witnesses:

J. P. BECKER, LoUIs BARKLOYL. 

